Dispensing machine



C. ZUNINO DISPENSING MACHINE Dec. 4, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 11, 1946 INVENTOR. ZUN/NO A T TO RNEY CARL BY z swsw vww Dec. 4, 1951 c. ZUNINO DISPENSING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 11, 1946 ATTORNEY Dec 4, 1951 c. ZUNINO DISPENSING MACHINE Filed June 11, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. CAfiL ZUNINO AT TORNEV C. ZUNINO DISPENSING MACHINE Dec. 4, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 11, 1946 INVEN TOR.

zu/vuvo I CAFPL A7 TORNEV Patented Dec. 4, 1951 UNITED STATES. PATENT orFics DISPENSING MACHINE Carl Zunino, Oakland, Calif.

Application June 11, 1946, Serial No. 675,925

' s'olaims. (01. 222-10) My invention relates to a dispensing machine and more particularly to a machine for the dispensing of pills, tabletsor the like into bottles or other containers, in predetermined quantities.

Among the objects ofmy invention are to provide a novel andimproved dispensing ma chine for dispensing pills, tablets or the like in predetermined quantities.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel and improved dispensing machine for pills, tablets or the like wherein the predetermined quantity of items to ,be dispensed per operation of the machine may be varied over .wide limits.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel and improved dispensing machine for dispensing pills, tablets or the like with a minimum of breakage or chipping of such items.

An additional object of my invention is to provide a novel and improved dispensing machine for pills, tablets. or the like which is adjustable to handle items of different sizes.

A further ob ect of my invention is to provide a novel and improved dispensing machine for pills, tablets or the like capable of dispensing such items in predetermined quantities per operation of the machine, and wherein the number of such items dispensed per operation is independent and unaffected by the size of the items being dispensed. l

Additional objects of my invention will be brought out in the following description of a preferred embodiment of the sametaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a plan View of a machine re resenting a preferred embodiment of my invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the machine of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the machine of Figure 1; V V

Figure 4 is a view taken in the'plane' 4- 4" of Figure 2;

Figures 10 and 11 illustrate details in the drive mechanism to the dumper bar of Figures 8 and 9 and Figure 12 is a detail of another portiOQ'Qf lihe drive connection to the dumper bar,

In general, the machine includes a hopper or other suitable storage facility for the pills or tabiets to be dispensed. Such items as they are discharged from the hopper are guided into appropriate channels, by means of which the5 are fed to a dumper bar.

This bar is so designed as to receive the same number of pills or tablets from each channel to which it ma be exposed, before each dumping operation, and facilities are provided for utilizing a selectable number of such channels and for operating the dumping bar one or more times per operation of the machine, thus imparting to the machine the ability to dispense a predetermined quantity of items per operation of the machine, within a wide range of values. Additional features will be pointed out in the following description.

Referring to the drawings for details, the operational components of the machine are mounted on a base frame i comprising four corner legs 3 with a cross member 5 joining each front leg with its corresponding rear leg.

Supported on this base frame, is a housing 1 formed of a front wall 9 and two side walls II, with each side wall terminating along its upper edge in a lateral flange I3. Afiixed to each side wall as by a corresponding flange I5, is a side Wall extension l1.

Supported between but clear of the side wall extensions, is a shaker table l9 comprising a wood base 2| to which is affixed a top plate 23 of metal or other suitable material. This shaker table is mounted on a vibrator assembly 25 within the housing.

Such vibrator assembly ma be of any suitable type, but that disclosed includes a platform 2'! mounted on rubber blocks 29 or the like and carrying a plurality of upwardly directed leaf springs 3!, one behind the other in alignment, with each leaf spring carrying at its upper end a mo nting block 33 to which the shaker table is afiixed.

' Vibration of the shaker table is effected by means of an electric vibrator 35 preferably bolted to the platform between two of the supporting springs and having its associated armature 31 affixed to one of such springs adjacent the top thereof.

Supported by the side wall extensions I! and at the rear of the machine, is a hopper 39 for receiving the items 4! to be dispensed. Such hopper romprises a pair of side walls 43 of generally triangular figuration connected by a rear inclined wall 45 and. a front wall 37. sloping toward the rear wall and terminating in a reversely directed lower wall section d9 Whose lower edge defines suificient clearance for the passage of items from the hopper onto the shaker table.

The reversely directed lower wall section is preferably made adjustable to regulate rate of discharge of items from the hopper. To realize such adjustability, this lower front section is affixed to a cross rod 58 journalled in the side walls of the hopper, one end protruding through a hollow boss 5|, where it is exposed to the rotational force of a wound coil spring 52, one end of which is anchored in the rod and the other end in an edge slot 54 in the boss. The rotational position of the rod and, consequently, the lower wall section 48 is determinable by an adjusting screw 56 carried by a bracket 58 from one of the hopper side walls.

In conjunction with the shaker table l9, a plurality of guide channels 53 are provided extending to the front edge or the table in a line paralleling the discharge of the hopper. These guide channels are formed by a group of parallel disposed bars 55 of T-cross section, such group being flanked at each end by a parallel disposed bar 51 of L-shaped section, all joined into a fixed unitary assembly by cross bars 59, which at each end are adapted to be removably clamped to suitable adjustable binding posts 6! provided on the flanges i5 01 the side wall extensions.

These channel-forming members are preferably 'to be handled, and to adapt the machine to items of different sizes, a plurality of guide channel assemblies are contemplated. 'From-the manner in which such assemblies are installed in the machine, it becomes apparent that they are readily interchangeable in adapting the machine to handle items of different sizes.

Across the front of the housing 7 just below the front edge of the shaker table, is a supporting shelf 53 from which extends a discharge spout or chute 65. 7

At the ends of this shelf are supporting posts 67 for supporting a dump bar 59 intermediate the discharge end of the guide channels and the discharge chute or spout. Such dump bar is adapted to receive a predetermined number of items 4! from the guide channels prior to dumping the same into the discharge chute by which they may be guided into a suitable receptacle for packaging purposes.

Intermediate cylindrical ends H and i3, the

.dump bar is of semi-cylindrical cross-section,

and has end shaft extensions 75 and l! for journaling the same in the aforementioned posts 61. On the flat surface of the dump bar, there is removably' affixed a strip is having guide projections 8i so disposed thereon as to be in align- H ment with the channel forming bars 55 to permit of the guided flow of items onto the dump bar from such channels to which it may be exposed.

The flow of items from the guide channels onto the dump bar is limited by an angle iron stop bar 83 supported slightly above the dump bar across the path of movement of the items so that such items, as they are deposited on the dump bar, will abut the stop bar and cause all 'further movement of the items to stop so long as such condition exists. I

Support for the stop bar includes a Pair O end brackets and 81 pivotally anchored to the upper side wall extensions, each bracket at its free end carrying an elevation adjusting screw 89, the lower end of which is afiixed to the stop bar. By adjusting these screws, the elevational position of the stop bar may be varied within limits, to conform to the thickness of the items being dispensed by the machine.

A stop afiixed to a side wall extension ll determines the normal rest position of the brackets 85 and 81.

Lateral adjustment of the stop bar is also provided for by slot openings 9| in the supporting ends of the brackets, whereby to permit only a whole number of units or items to come to rest on the dump bar when further movement of the items is blocked by the stop bar.

Intermediate the hopper 39 and guide channels 53, means are provided for maintaining the items which have been discharged from the hopper, in a constant state of agitation, to preclude such items from piling up against and blocking the entrances to these channels.

As one step in the accomplishment of this objective, the shaker table plate 23 is formed with a plurality of grooves or gouges 93 in the surface thereof of any suitable shape, and including a row of adjacentlydispo'sed oval-shaped grooves beneath the discharge edge of the hopper, all these grooves cooperating to upset such pills as may stand on edge during discharge from the hopper, and cause them to approach the guide channels lying flat.

Before reaching the guide'channels, they are caused to pass under an oscillating curtain 95 of rubber or leather or similar material terminating at its lower edge, approximately the thickness of an item from the surface of the shaker table, whereby only a single layer of such items can approach the entrances to the guide channels. This curtain is suspended from a bar Bl which is carried on a pair of arms as and Hll pivotally mounted on studs I03 at opposite sides of the machine, the bar having a shaft extension N35 for connection to some means for providing oscillatory movement to the bar.

Along its length, the bar is perforated for selectively aflixing thereto one or more tickler wires l0! adapted to impart a light agitation to the single layer of items after they emerge from beneath the lower edge of the curtain, to preclude the items from congregating and blocking the entrances to the guide channels.

The operation of the reciprocating bar 9? and dumping bar 69 is from a main drive shaft H39 extending through and supported by the housing side walls I! and gear connected to a drive motor Ill supported on the base frame within the housing I.

At one end of the main drive shaft, there is mounted a cam H3 having a cam groove H5 in which rides a cam follower H1. This cam follower is disposed on the end of a rocker arm H9 whichis pivotally mounted on a laterally extending fulcrum l2! and pivotally connected at itsother end to the shaft extension I65 of the bar 91. The cam groove is designed to rock the rocker arm and thereby impart the desired reoiprocatory movement to the oscillating bar.

On its other end, the main drive shaft carries a crank I23, the end of which is connected by means of a connecting arm I25 of adjustable length, to a lever I21. This lever is freely mounted on, the, and or a shaft 129 extending.

through'and journalled inthe cross m'embers 5 of the base frame- I.

-Oscillations'of "the-lever I 21 as induced by rotation of the crank- I 23"are arbitrarily convertible into angular rotationalmoveme'nts of the shaft I29 througha pawl and ratchet assembly I3I under control of a 'control arm or handle I33.

Such pawl and ratchet assembly includes a ratchet I35 mounted on and pinned to the shaft I29, and having a small number of teeth, three or four being sufiicient for most contemplated applications of the machine;

This ratchet is engageableby a pawl I31 carried at'an intermediate point on the lever I21 and backed up by a spring I39 urging it into engagement with the ratchet. 7 1 p I On the shaft adjacent the inner side of the ratchet, is a combined pinion-cam Hit, the cam portion I 43 thereof having a high cam surface coinciding with and rising slightly above one of the teeth of the ratchet I35, and extending over an arc slightly greater than the movement of the pawl. This combined pinion-cam is mainft'ained in continuous clutch engagement with the ratchet by a relatively stiff coil spring Hi5 interposed between the combined pinion-cam and a back stop in the form of a cupped washer I l! surrounding and aflixed to the shaft.

The pawl :31 is of sufiiciently greater thickness than its associated ratchet, as to be engageable by the high cam surface of the adjacent cam.

Mounted on the shaft I29 adjacent the inner sideo-f the op osite cross member, is a multiple lift cam I49 having as many lift segments I 5I as there are teeth on the ratchet I35, with the lift segments in functional alignment with the ratchet teeth. This multiple lift cam is adapted to operate the dump bar 69 through suitable tilting connection.

As depicted in the drawing, such tilting connection may include a lever I53 pivotally affixed to the inner side of the cross member 5 and ing teeth. such teeth being disposed at the upper end of the rack in engageable relationship with .a pinion I63 mounted on the shaft extension 11 of the dump bar.

The rack is guided in its vertical movement by a perforated bracket I65 affixed to a front corner leg of the base frame and through which the rack passes, and is held in cooperational engagement with the dump bar pinion I63 by a back ro ler I61 mounted on a bracket I59 extending laterally from the adjacent post 61 in which the dump bar is journalled.

A portion of the rack below the bracket is threaded to receive a pair of adjusting nuts I'II,

the position of which will determine the uppermost starting position of the rack between lifting intervals of the lift cam, which in turn determine the downward travel .of the rack and the consequent tilting of the dump bar. By thus deter- L mining the starting position of the rack, the angle to which the dum bar rotates in response to the action of the lift cam, may be properly adjusted.

Normally the pawl I37 rides on the high spot of j the associated cam I43 and therefore is normally precluded from engaging any of its associated -ratchet teethp-Consequently nodumping of the dump bar i can occur under the circumstances. By rotating this cam to shift the high spot from its position underneath the pawl, the pawl becomes free toengage its associated ratchet, and in so doing will'restore the cam to its normal position and again cause the'pawl to thereafter ride upon the high spot of the cam, out of engagement with the ratchet.

The extent to which the high spot of the cam is moved away from its normal position will determine how many teeth of the ratchet will be engaged by the pawl before the pawl is again lifted out of possible cooperation with the ratchet. Inasmuch as each cooperative engagement between the pawl and a tooth on its associated ratchet results in a dumping of the dump bar, the machine for each shift of the cam may be caused to operatethe dump bar one or more times in succession depending on the extent of such shift.

To place this within the control of an operator, the control arm I33 is provided in the form of a lever, 'pivotally secured at one end to one of the rear legs of the frame and extending to the front of the machine. This control arm has an upstanding rack I I3 affixed to an intermediate point thereon. Such rack is held in driving engagement with a gear I15 by a backing roller I 11 mounted on the corresponding front leg of the frame.

This gear in turn meshes with the pinion portion of the combined pinion-cam I4 I, thus placing rotational movement of this'pinion under control of an operator sitting or standing in front of the machine.

By lowering the handle, the high portion of the cam may be rotated from its normal position under the pawl, to permit the pawl to engage the ratchet and operate the dump bar. The extent of movement of the handle will determine how many of the ratchet teeth will be exposed to the action of the pawl before restoration of the cam to its normal position occurs.

' To facilitate such control, a pair of guide strips I79 and I8I are mounted in offset relationship to the front leg of the machine, such strips defining a guide for movement of the handle. These strips are similarly perforated at points determining such positions of the handle as will cause one or or another of such'locations, necessity for judging the position to which the handle is to be moved to obtain the desired number of dumping operations per operation of the machine is theremore complete dumping operations of the dump bar. By selectively positioning a pin I83 at one by avoided. As the pawl engages the ratchet teeth to effect such dumping operations, it will be noted that the handle or control arm will by successive steps, be restored to its initial position, which it will reach when the cam renders the pawl and ratchet assembly inoperative.

Thus for each operation of the machine, the machine may be caused to dump one or more loads from the dump bar as desired, and in such way control the amount dispensed by the machine in terms of multiples of the loading of the dump bar.

Over-running of the drive mechanism to the dump bar is guarded against by abrake assembly I84 on the exposed end of the shaft I29.

- The number of items constituting a loading of the dump bar, as previously indicated, will depend on the number of channels which are open for reception of items from the hopper. This may be arbitrarily fixed as desired by an adjustable gate mamas-4 7 m the form of-an L'-shaped.r'od I85 mounted on a stem l 81 'for sliding movement througha clamp nut [89 whereby its adjustable position may be fixed.

Thus, through the combination of such adjustable gate and the control which the operator may exercise over the number of dumping operations of the dump bar 'per operation of the machine, a control over the output of the machine throughout a wide range of values may be realized.

By holding a container at the discharge end of the chute 65, during each operation of the machine, such container will receive a predetermined number of items, and the filling of such container may proceed rapidly and with assurance of an accurate count. When such containers are in the form of bottles, a funnel I9! may be advantageously employed in connection with the discharge chute to guide the items into the bottle with speed and accuracy.

-It will be apparent from the above that my improved dispensing machine will fulfill all the objects of the invention as previously set forth, and while I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention in considerable detail; the same is subject to alteration and modification without departing from the underlying principles thereof, and I, accordingly, do notdesire to be limited in my protection to the specific details illustrated and described except as may be necessitated by the appended claims;

-;I claim: I l. A dispensing machine for items such as pills, capsules or the like, comprising means for holding such items in bulk, said means including a.

hopper having a discharge, opening; means adapted for receiving items from said holding means and forming a plurality of substantially parallel rows thereof, said means including an assembly of parallel bars of T cross-section forming row channelsymeans for moving items from said holding means to said row-forming means in a single layer, said means including a shaker table, a reciprocating rod intermediate said holding means and row-forming means and carrying a strip of flexible material transverse to the general flow of said items, said strip having its lower edge spaced from said table by approximately the thickness of one item; means in the path of movement of such items at the ends of said channels for simultaneously receiving a like number thereof from each row; discharge means adjacent said receiving means; and means for halting movement of items in such rows while discharging such received items from said receiving means into said discharge means.

2. In a machine for dispensing items such as pills, capsules or the like, wherein such items are fed into a plurality of row-forming channels having open ends to permit continuous movement of items therethrough; means in the path of movement of such items for simultaneously receiving a like number thereof from each row, said means including a dump bar of substantially semi cylindrical cross-section and having a substantially fiat surface adjacent the exit ends of said channels upon which such items move as they emerge from said channels; and means for selectively tilting said dump bar one or more times per operation of such machine.

3. In a machine for dispensing items such as pills, capsules or the like, wherein such items are fed into a plurality of row-forming channels having open ends to permit continuous movement of items therethrough; means in the path of movement of such items for simultaneously receiving a like number thereof from each row,

said means including a dump bar of substantially semi-cylindrical cross-section and having a substantially fiat surface adjacent the exit ends of said channels upon which such items move as they emerge from said channels, and a stop bar supported above and independently of said dump bar in a position paralleling the same and spaced substantially a whole number of items from the exit ends of said passages; and means for selectively tilting said dump bar one or more times per operation of such machine. 4. In a machine fordispensing items such as pills, capsules o r the like, wherein such items are fed into a plurality of row-forming channels having openends to permit continuous movement of items therethrough; means in the path of movement of such items for simultaneously receiving a like number thereof from each row, said means including a dump bar of substantially semi-cylindrical cross-section and having a substantially fiat surface adjacent the exit ends of said channels upon which such items move as they emerge from said channels, and a stop bar supported above and independently of said dump bar in a position paralleling the same and spaced substantially a Whole number of items from the exit ends of said passages; and means for selectively tilting said dump bar one or more times per operation of such machine, saidmeans ineluding a drive shaft, a second shaft, a tilting connection interconnecting said second shaft and said dump bar, and an adjustable rocker connection between said drive shaft and said second shaft involving a 'crank on the drive shaft, a lever journalled on said second shaft, an arm connecting said crank to said lever, a ratchet affixed to said second shaft adjacent said lever, a pawl pivotally affixed tosaid lever and held in operativeengagement with said ratchet, said pawl having a thickness greater than said ratchet, a pinion and cam journalled on said second shaft adjacent said ratchet with said cam in line with said pawl, said cam having a portion of its cam surface of greater radius than said rat :het, a cupped washer about said second shaft and affixed thereto, a compression spring intermediate said cupped washer and pinion and cam, a gear in mesh schema pinion, and a handlefor rotating said gear in terms of one or more icomplete tiltin'gs of said dumpbar.

5; In a machine for dispensing items such as pills capsules or the like wherein such items are fed into a plurality of row-forming channels having open ends to permitcontinuous movement of items therethrough; means in the path of movement of such items for simultaneously receiving a like number thereof from each row, said means including a dump bar of substantially s eini cylindrical cross-section and having a substantially flat surface adjacent the exit ends of said channels upon which such items move as they emerge from said channels, and a stop bar supported above and independently of said dump bar in a position paralleling the same and spaced substantially awhole number of items from the exit ends of said passages; and means for selectively tilting'said dump bar one or more times per operation of such machine, said means including a drive shaft, a second shaft, a tilting connection interconnecting said second shaft and said dump bar, and an adjustable rocker connection between said drive shaft and said second shaft involving a crank on the drive shaft, a lever 9 journalled on said second shaft, an arm connecting said crank to said lever, a ratchet aflixed to said second shaft adjacent said lever, a pawl. pivotally affixed to said lever and held in operative engagement with said ratchet, said pawl having a thickness greater than said ratchet, a pinion and cam journalled on said second shaft adjacent said ratchet with said cam in line with said pawl, said cam having a portion of its cam surface of greater radius than said ratchet, a

cupped washer about said second shaft and afiixed thereto, a compression spring intermediate said cupped washer and pinion and cam, a gear in mesh with said pinion, a handle for rotating said gear, and a guide for selectively determining movement of said handle in terms of one or more complete tiltings of said dump bar.

CARL ZUNINO.

10 REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,042,785 Goulding Oct. 29, 1912 1,647,356 Handry Nov. 1, 1927 1,709,189 Radtke Apr. 16, 1929 1,854,446 Campbell Apr. 19, 1932 2,233,466 Ayers Mar. 4, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 475,900 France Apr. 3, 1915 

